Regulation of systems of electrical distribution.



P. H. THOMAS.

REGULATION or SYSTEMS OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 27,1905.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1 9i l'mcoaca P. H. THOMAS. REGULATION OF SYSTEMS OF ELECTRICALDISTRIBUTION.

APPLICATION PILBD SEPT. 27,1905.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY H. THOMAS, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN-MENTS, TO COOPER HEWITT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

REGULATION OF SYSTEMS OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1914.

Continuation of application Serial No. 161,282, filed June 13, 1903.This application filed September 27,

' 1905. Serial No. 280,256.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pnnor H. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Montclair, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Regulation of Systems ofElectrical Distribution, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

In an application for Letters Patent of the United States filed March'30, 1905 Serial Number 252,797, I have described a converter outfitsuitable for charging storage batteries from a single-phase alternatingcurrent source together with means for securing a wide range of currentvariation.

It is found that in certain cases it is desirable as well to providemeans for charging from the same apparatus at different times aconsiderable number of batteries or other direct current translatingdevices of different voltages.

It is the object of the present invention to provide means by which awide range of voltage may be delivered to the work circuit. This Iaccomplish by means of certain loops tapped out of suitable turns in theauto or other transformer through which the energy is supplied and byeither altering the number of turns from which the primary voltage issupplied or withdrawing energy from varying numbers of turns forenergizing the converter I may vary the delivery of direct current.

The present invention may be utilized, for example, in cases where thenormal line voltage is less than the maximum voltage required betweenthe positive electrodes of the converter. In such cases I may employ anumber of steps comparatively large in connection with one lead andcomparatively small steps at the other lead by which it is possible toslightly vary the voltage by steps throughout a comparatively widerange.

The invention may also be applied to cases where it is desired to supplya comparatively low direct current voltage frpm a high alternatingcurrent voltage, in which case- I provide various loops to which may .beconnected the several leads from the positive electrodes so that whilethe number 'of turns .connected with the line remains unchanged, thevoltage of the converter is .varied and controlled. In some cases suchloops are symmetrically arranged so that exactly equal voltages areimpressed upon the circuit between the negative electrode and eachpositive electrode; while in other cases, where finer gradations arerequired. I may either provide unequal voltage steps upon the two sidesof each auto-transformer or may step the positive leads unequally, asmaybe found most desirable. The maintaming or sustaining coil on thenegative side of the converter tends to equalize in the dlrect currentside any inequalities of voltage thus produced. In still other caseswhere an unusually wide range of voltage is required in the workcircuit, especially where a fine gradation of steps is necessary Iutilize various loops both for connection to the leads of the positiveelectrodes and also for varying the pointof application of the supplyvoltage.

It will be understood that the regulating devices may be placed on thesupply side of the circuit or in the circuit between the transformer orconverter. In which different positions they perform their functionssomewhat differently as will be understood by those skilled in the art.The described different arrangement of the regulating devices will bedepended upon to suit different conditions of service.

These various embodiments of the invention are diagrammaticallyillustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawing.

In Fig. 1, 1 is an auto transformer supplied from leads 2 and 3 asshown, connected with a source of alternating current. 8 is a vaporconverter having anodes 6 and 7 connected to the opposite sides of thewinding 1, and 9 is the cathode of the converter and'lO a supplementalstarting electrode. The cathode 9 is connected through a maintaining orsustaining coil 11 with an intermediate point of the transformer winding1, a storage battery 12 or other receivlng apparatus being interposed inthe circuit from the negative electrode. At 13 is shown a tiltingmagnet, the function of which is now well understood, the same beingadaptedto tilt the converter so as to bring temporarily into contact theelectrodes 9 and 10 and afterward release the converter so as toseparate them for startin the apparatus. In

the circuit i h' hati en in e s i a re sistance, 34, the resistanceandthe coil being connected between the electrodes 9 and 10. The electrode10 is connected by a resistance 14 with the lead of the electrode 7 Inthisand the other figures of the drawing ittwill be understood that thismethod of obtaining direct current is applicable not only to storagebatteries but also to motors or other translating devices. thisinvention I connect the supply mains 2 and 3, and the vapor converter bymeans of taps on the auto transformer so that a ready adjustment ofvoltageor ratio may be obtained.

from the terminal loop, 24, to the succeeding i loop, 25, may be assumedto represent a five per cent. reduction in potential supplied to theconverter; while the transfer of the switch-arm, 23, from the terminalloop, 26, to

the succeeding loop, 27, may be assumed to represent a ten per cent.reduction in potential supplied to the converter. By moving theswitch-arm 22 alone, as described, we can cure a fifteen per cent.reduction and so on.

on the direct currentside of the circuit. On the other hand by movingthe switch-arm 23 alone in the manner described we can secure 4 a tenper cent. reduction in the voltage on the direct current side of thecircuit and by moving both switch arms from the terminal loop to thenext succeeding loop we can secure a fifteen per cent. reduction and soon.

By making the loops represent irregular reductions, as described, it ispossible to secure a finer gradation in the variations of voltage thanif all the loops were made to represent exactly equal changes in'thepotential.

' In Fig. 1 the receiving device is repre-- sented as a storage battery,12, and the maintaining or sustaining coil is represented at 11 asbefore. A resistance, 30, may be inserted in the circuit of the tiltingcoil 13 for controlling the current. I

In Fig. 2 I ilustrate an invention somewhat varied from the form shownin Fig. 1, 's'ome'of the loops being shown on the supply side ofthecircuit and others on the con-' verterside. virtue of-this arrangement astill greater'range is secured than by either of the other arrangementsalone and in some instances H113 desirable to provide meansfor-securing-such 'a widerange'. The

For the purposes ofv action of the device represented in the figure isobvious from the description given in connection with Fig. 2. v

It will be understood that in placeof the storage batteries illustratedin the various figures of the drawingother translating devices, such asmotors, may be employed, and it is especially desired that the inventionbe not limited to the use of storage batteries alone as the translatingdevice in the receiving circuit. I

In Fig. 3 I illustrate particularly the employment of impedances, as 30,31, in the leads to the positive electrodes 6 and 7 of a vapor converter8, together with means for securing voltage adjustment by any or all ofthe devices illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In connection with the saidimpedances are provided short-circuiting devices, 32 and 33, for use incase of need or convenience. The functions of the impedances 30, 31which are shown as inductances and resistances in series are to servethe purposes of regulating, steadving and sustaining the preventing ofshort circuits and such purposes.

In the receiving circuit I represent a plurality of storage batteries,12 and 42 together with means for introducing them into the saidreceiving circuit with or without resistances, 43, 44, these storagebatteries or their equivalent may be usedtogether or separately in thereceiving circuit.

The resistances, 43, 44, are made adjustable as shown and their functionis to supply the smallest additional regulation of the urrent, by makingthe major adjustment by means of the loops in the auto-trans-' formerand supplying the-minor adjustment by variations in the amount ofresistance introduced at 43 and 44. By doing this I secure an efficientand finely graduated con: trol over a wide range of voltage.

The invention herein described maybe applied not only to systems ofsingle-phase distribution but also to systems of distribution bypolyphase currents.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a vacuum rectifier including a plurality ofanodes and a cathode in an exhausted container, an alternating currenttransformer winding acting I I as a supply therefor, a direct currentwork circuit and a connection from said cathode through said directcurrent work circuit to an intermediate point of said winding, of aseries of taps near the terminals of said windings relatively widelyspaced near one terminal and relatively narrowly spaced near the other,and means for connecting said anodes respectively to the two sets oftaps independently and means traversed by currents from both anodes forsteadying the resultant current flowing from the two anodes.

2. Thecombination with a vacuum rectifier, including asuitablenegativeelectrode and suitable positive electrodes, of a source consisting of atransformer winding, a direct current work circuit, a connection fromthe negative electrode through said direct current work circuit to themiddle point of said transformer winding and connections from thepositive electrodesvto the outer portions of said winding, of means foradJusting the point of connection of one of the leads from the positiveelectrodes independently of that of the other anode thus producingunbalanced electromotive forces on the two positive electrodes, togetherwith an Signed at New York, .in the county of New York, and State of NewYork this 25th day of September A. D. 1905.

- PERCY H. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CAPEL,

THOS. H. BROWN.

